Clock



G. LEMATA 2,093,150

CLOCK Filled June l, 1936 3 Sheets-Shet l Sept. 14, 1937.

lNvENToR. `.Ge0/7 @maf-q ATTORNEY.

Sept. 14, 1937. G LEMATA 2,093,150

ATTORNEY.

G. LEMATA sept. 14, 1937.

CLOCK Filed June l, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. Gideon L ema/L0 BY ATTORNEY.

YFigure 1.

ing for the invention. A

l' lfor. the mirrored space.

Patented Sept. 14, 1937 UNITED STATES 1 oLooK v Gideon Lemma, Los Angeles, Calif.v l Application Juil@ 1, 193s, sei-m1 No. 82,732 f 9 claims. (oi. 53-50) 'j My invention relates to clocks and more particularly to illuminated dials for clocks.

important object of my invention is to provide means for casting variegated lights upon a translucent dial for a clock.

Another object is to provide means for casting an extremely large number of colors and color combinations upon the rear face of a ground glass clock dial.

Furtherobjects reside in the provision of efflcient mechanism for reflecting or transmitting such variegated lights.

'n The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar partsv in the several views.

Y Figure 1 is anvelevation of mechanism embodyfing the features of my invention, showing the housing in section.

Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1. Y f

-Figure'B is a section taken orrthe line 3 3 of Y.Figure 2. L vFigure 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of In Figure 4, a housing for'the mechanism has been removed.

lFigure 5 is a plan view of a disc having diiferently colored Vsegments of art glass, comprised in theinvention.

Fig. Y6 is a .detail perspective view of an en- -velopewhich comprises support means for certain mirrors.

Fig.V 'l is a detail perspective view of a multibladed paddle with reectingsurfaces.

c Referring more in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral 6 generally designates a housplatform 'l rests on the bottom of the housing. 'I'he housing has an opening 8 at the front face of the housing, whereby to expose a ground glass dial 9. It is to be understood that the dial 9gis any desired clock dial. l

Disposed behindthe dial is a. system or cage rof at mirrors, consisting of mirrors III and I2 angularly arranged and providing wall members of a mirrored space I5. A mirror 'I3 lying on the platform provides the floor of saidspace and a mirror I4 acts as a top'plate for the space I5. The groundglass dial 9 forms a translucent face Angularly arranged braces I6 on the platform 1, together with upright members II and an envelope I8, maintainthe mirrors in position." The lvelope likewise has vof -a circumferential ments ofthe disc on the spindle 28.

The bearings 29 an standard 18; 35

the disc 3 I,

.A transformer 35 bolts 13.

envelope I8 comprises upright members 8| and 82 that have ilanges 83 providing feet. The ena top member 84 bridging the spacebetween the upright members 8| and 82, as perhaps best shown in Figure 6. The upright members I1, which are at either side of the opening 8, also provide abutments for the ground glass dial. The top mirror I4 has an aperture I9 for admitting illumination to the mirrored space I5. It is to `Ioe'understood in this description and in( 10 the hereunto appended claims that an equivalent for the aperture I9 would be a break in the silvering of one of themirrors. A shutter 20, pivotally mounted upon a standard 18, is arranged to close V.through the engagement of a bent pin 23 on the Ashaft 22, together with a'slot 24 on an arm 25,

operates the shutter 28. The arm 25 is of course rigidly mounted relative to the shutter. A sleeve g5 on a bracket 2l rotatably supports the shaft 2. A spindle 28 mounted in a thrust bearing 29 and in abearing 30 carries a disc 3I consisting series of colored art glass segments 32. A bolted hub 33 mounts the seg- 30 The segments of the disc are disposed to revolve in a path over the aperture I9 in the top mirror. 38 are mounted upon the A reflector light 34 is pivotally mounted above and is mounted directly above the aperture I9, whereby light shining through the segments of the art glass disc will pass through theV aperture I 9 and into the mirrored space I5. is employed for stepping down ordinary commercial voltage to provide current of small voltage for the light 34. The light 34 depends from an arm I8 that is pivotally mounted in a sleeve l-I, which sleeve is in turn supported 45 upon a standard 'IZ by means of hook-shaped The hook shape ofthe hooks is perhaps best shown in plan in Figure 4. Wires .14 and 'I5 lead from the transformer 35 to the light 34. It is to be understood that the sleeve 1| 50 and the arm 'I0 act as conduits for the wires I4 wiresv39 and 40`leading to and from a source 55 (not shown) complete the circuit for the transformer.

Rotatable in the space I5 is a multi-bladed paddle 4I having reflective surfaces, e. g., of polished chromium. The paddle preferably has radial blades 42 and 43 disposed longitudinally of its hollow shaft 44. Ends of the blades 42 and 43 are inclined away from the shaft, as best shown in Figure 1. The blade 42 has a curved tip at one end, as indicated at 45, and both of blades l2 and 43 have curved tips at the opposite end, as indicated at 46. The hollow shaft 44 is mounted upon a hollow drive shaft 16. The shaft 16 extends through a circular opening 11 cut in abutting edges of the mirrors I and I2.

Also disposed radially on the hollow shaft 44 at quadrant points from the blades 42 and 43 are smaller blades or fins 41 and 48. The fins preferably have angularly arranged sides, and the tips Of the sides may be bent outwardly slightly, as shown at 49. It will be noted that the curves and dips of the paddle blades and ns provide a plurality of differently disposed reflecting surfaces. The paddle rotates substantially in the plane of the light that passes through the art glass and through the aperture I9.V

The invention also comprises an electric clock mechanism 50 in combination with the features hereinbefore described. Since the electric clock mechanism may be of any conventional construction and since it is not claimed per se, further illustration and description of same appear unnecessary. Suflice to say that a second-hand I a minute-hand 52 and an hour-hand 53 are driven by the electric clock mechanism 50 in a plane between the mirrored space I5 and the ground glass dial 9.

operatively connected with the electric clock .mechanism 50 is a train of gears 54 which drive pulleys 55 and 56. the hollow shaft 16.

A pulley 51 is mounted on (The hollow'shaft 16 contains the conventional driving shaft and driving sleeves of the second, minuteand hour-hands.) A belt 58 drives the pulley 51 from the pulley 56 at a slow rate of rotation.

A counter shaft 59, mounted on a standard 89, 'carries two sheaves 60 and 6I, and the spindle 28 carries graduated sheaves 62. A belt 63 is passed Varound the pulley 55, over the sheaves 60 and 6I and around a selected one of the sheaves 62. By moving the lbelt from one of the sheaves 62 to the other, the art glass disc 3I may be rotated at dierent rates. If desired, the belts 58 and 63 may be of coiled springs, to provide eventension at all times. A brace block |80, which is mounted on the platform 1, has notched ends, as shown at IBI and |82, in which notches are fastened the lower ends of the standards 12V and 80.

Wires 64 and 65 connect the clock mechanism 59 in the circuit provided bythe wires 39 and 40. The light 34 and the clock mechanism are connected in parallel, whereby the lighting effects may be turned off and still allow the clock to operate.

In the operation of my invention, the cable 38 is plugged into an ordinary light socket, which provides current for operating the electric clock mechanism and for the illuminating mechanism.

The'hands of the clock are visible at all times behind the ground glass face 9, and it is preferable to allow the clock to operate continuously. When it is desired to turn on the lighting effects, the switch 36 is closed. The light 34 is thereby illuminated, which casts colored lights upon the reecting paddle 4I and the bottom mirror I3,

through the intermediary of the art glass disc.

It is to be understood that adjacent segments 32 of the disc 3| are of different colors, so that as the disc 3| slowly rotates, a wide variety of attractive lights are cast into the mirrored space Rotation of the paddle 4I reflects the lights upon the various mirrors around the space I5, and pleasing, variegated lights are cast upon the ground glass dial 9. When it is desired to dim the lights, the control 2I is manipulated.

While I have illustrated and described what I now regard as the preferred embodiment of my invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modifications without departing from the spirit of my invention. I, therefore, do not wish to restrict myself to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but desire to avail myself of all modifications which may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

YHaving thus described my invention, what I claim and desir-e to secure by Letters Patent is:

l; In a clock, a translucent dial, mirror means behind and disposed to reflect light upon the dial, a rotary paddle disposed between Vthe mirror means and the dial and having reflective surfaces disposed to reflect light upon `the dial and upon the mirror means, a source of light, a rotary disc composed of segments of differently colored glass disposed to move in a path between the source of light and the paddle, and means to rotate the paddle and the disc.

2l. In a clock, a translucent dial, mirror means defining a space behind and disposed to reflect light upon the dial, a paddle having reflective surfaces mounted to rotate in the mirrored space, a source of light, a rotary .disc comprised of seg- -ments of differently colored glass disposed to rotate in a path between the source of light and the paddle, and means to rotate the paddle and the disc.

3. In a clock, a translucent dial, movable means disposed behind the .dial and having a reflective surface arranged in one position to reflect light upon the dial, mechanism to actuate said means, and means to cast differently colored lights upon said moving means.

4. In a clock, a translucent dial, hands to traverse the dial, concentric spindles for the hands, a hollow shaft concentric with said spindles, a reflective blade -on the hollow shaft, means to rrotate the hollow shaft, mirror means disposed to reflect light from the blade upon the dial, and means to cast colored lights upon the blade.

5. In a clock, a translucent dial, mirrors arranged in.V.-shaped formation behind the dial, top and bottom mirrors, together with the firstmentioned mirrors, forming a closed, mirrored space behind and reflecting upon the dial, there. .being an opening in the mirror means for admitting light, a rotary element comprising a series of .differently colored segments of glass, a rotary, reflecting element in the mirrored space,

a source of light arranged to cast light through the colored segments, through said opening andv upon the rotary, reflecting element, and means to rotate the two said rotary elements.

6. In a clock, a translucent dial, a rotary element having reflective blade means behind the dial, mechanism to cast differently colored lights upon the reflective blade means, including a moving series of differently colored segments, a source of light arranged to illuminate the segments successively, Ameans torotate the rotary element, A Y

and means to move said series of segments.

7. In a clock, a translucent dial, mirrors defining a space behind the dial, there being an opening in the mirrors for admitting light, a manually operable shutter controlling the light passing through said opening, a rotary, reilecting element in said space, a rotary member having a series of diierently colored segments arranged to pass said opening successively in the rotation of said member, a source of light arranged to illuminate the segments as they pass the opening, and means to rotate said element and said member.

8. In a clock, a translucent dial, a rotary element having a curved, reective blade behind the dial, mechanism to cast dierently colored lights upon the curve of the reflective blade, the mechanism including a series oi diierently colored members, a source of light arranged to illuminate the members successively, and means to rotate said element.

9. In a clock, a translucent dial, a rotary element having angularly arranged blade means behind the dial, mechanism' to successively cast differently colored lights upon the angularly arranged blade means, the mechanism including a series of differently colored members, a source of light arranged to illuminate the members successively. and means to rotate said element.

GIDEON LEMATA. 

